Clamping device.



UNITED s'rArEs virglEivi oEEIcE.

CLIN S. PROCTOR, 0F TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

CLAMPING DEVICE.

Application filed December 31, 1917.

To au L1/1.0m t may com-ern Be it known that I. OLIN S. Picocron, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Clamping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to clampin'g devices. More particularly my invention concerns clamping devices Which are adapted to clamp together a plurality ot cables, rods, Wires, or the like.

Among various objects, it is one ot the objects of the present invention to provide in clamping devices of the general character indicated such a construction and arrangement of parts as Will facilitate the application of the clamping device to the cables or rods which are to be clamped and will render certain and effective the operation of such a clamping device. Another object of my invention is to provide in clamping dcvices of the general character specified such a construction as Will maintain a. proper degree of clamping action when the cables or rods are put under tension. These and other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

For purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a device embodying my invention, the device being shown applied to a plurality of rods;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one face of one of the clamping elements;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other clamping element;

Fig. 4 is a cross section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 5 is a side view of the clamping device With the cables or rods clamped Within the same.

In one of its embodiments my invention may comprise a concave member or shell 1 which is provided along one side thereof with the guiding member 2 which is adapted to engage and seat the slide 3 of the cooperating concave member or shell 4. The concave member 4 is provided along that side thereof which is opposite the slide 3 with the guiding member 5 Which is adapted to engage and seat the slide 6 of the concave Sp ecication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Serial No. 209,790.

member 2. The slide member 3 of the concave member 4 is provided along the innel" t'ace thereof with the obl'iquely disposed cable or rod engagingV receptacle 7, while the slide member 6 of the concave member 1 is provided with the obliquely disposed cable or rod engaging receptacle 8. Preferably the degree of obliquity at which the cable engagingreceptacles 7 and 8 are disposed with respect to the slide members 5 and 6, respectively, is the same in the two cases, so that when the concave members 1 and 4 are applied to each other with their concave faces in opposition and with the guides 3 and 6 Within the slides 2 and 5 respectively, there will be provided between the members 1 andfi the space 9 for receiving the cables or rods 10 and 1l, the longitudinal surfaces of the receptacles 7 and S defining the Space 9 being parallel to each other in all relative positions of the members 1 and 4.

In use the clamping device is manipulated as iollows: The member 4 is applied to the member 1 so that the slides 3 and 6 rest Within the guides 2 and 5 respectively. The oblique cable-engaging receptacles 7 and 8 are so positioned that when the mem bers 1 and 4 are applied to each other with their concave surfaces in opposition, the receptacle 7 Will be along one side and the receptacle 8 along the opposite side of the clamp. Furthermore, as already stated, the receptacles 7 and 8, in the interengaging position of the members 1 and 4 are preferably parallel to each other. In view of thc oblique disposition ot the receptacles 7 and 8' it will be apparent, as an inspection of Fig. 1 makes clear, that, upon sliding the members 1 and 4 toward each other, the width of so much of space 9 as is defined by the overlapping portions of the members 1 and 4 Will diminish, while if the members 1 and 4 are slidably moved away from each other, this dimension of the space 9 will increase. The interengaging members 1 and 4.- are accordingly so moved relatively to each other that the space 9 is Wide enough to freely admit the cables, rods or other tension devices 10 and 11. After the.de vices 10 and 11 have been thus inserted into the space 9, the members 1 and 4 are pushed 105 9 as already described to thereby clamp within the space 9 and between the receptacles 7 and 8 the said cables or other devices 10 and 11. This causes the members 10 and 1l to be wedged together between the op posing surfaces ot the receptacles 7 and B.

lt is apparent that the member l() contacts only with its respective receptacle 7, while the member 11 contacts only with its respective receptacle S, the members 10 and 11 being themselves in contact. The arrangement of the various parts is therefore such that upon pulling the n'ien'ibers 10 and 11 in opposite directions, as indicated'by the arrows in Fig. 1, the member 10 will,` by its engagement with tht` receptacle 7 of the concave member 4, urge or pull said member 4 so as to tend to bring it farther into engagement with the member 1, While aysimilar tension but in the opposite direction exerted upon the member 11 will, by the engagement oi said member with the receptacle 8 of the concave member 1, also tend to bring the concave members 1 and 4 into further engagement with each other, thereby still further itliminishing the width of the space 9 and gradually tending to further increase the clamping action of the members 1 and 4. upon the cables or other devices 10 and 11.

An inspection of Fig. Ll-, moreover, indicates that the clamping stresses are substantially restricted in their distribution to a` single plane passing through the axes of the cables or other devices 10 and 11. This feature is considered of considerable practical importance since it permits an economy both of the space which the clamping device occupies and also of the material necessary for the construction of the clamping device. Furthermore, since the degree of obliquity of the cable-engaging receptacles 7 and 8 is the same, Said receptacles will, in the embodiment illustrated, be substantially parallel to each other when the members 1 and 4 are in engagement which results in the clamping action exerted by the members 1 and 4 upon the devices 10 and 11 being evenly distributed along all of those portions of the members 10 and 11 Which are in engagement with the respective cableengaging receptacles T and 8.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described and illustrated a device in which the several features of this invention are embodied, which device attains the various objects of the present invention and is Well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above device and many diii'erent embodiments of this invention could be made With out departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall. be interpreted as illustrative merely and not taken` in a limit-` ing sense.

What I claim is:

1. A device ot the character described comprising in combinatioli, a plurality o'l opposing, relatively slidable shell members each lniving a guide and a slide in olicrative relation with the slide and guide, respectively, of the opposite shell member, and a` cable-engaging receptacle adjacent and obliquely disposed with respect to each oi said slides for receiving a plurality oi* tension members and retaining the same in binding contact with each other within said receptacles.

2. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a plurality of separable, open-ended, concave members. said members being relatively longitudinally slidable and having their concavities opposed to each other to thereby define a space between said concave members, and an obliquely disposed cable-engaging receptacle along one side ot the concave face of each of said shell members for receiving a plurality of tension members and retaining the same in binding contact with each other within said receptacles.

3. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, .a plurality of concave, relatively longitudinally movable inter-engaging members providing between them a single space for receiving a plurality of cables Or the like, and means associated with said inter-engaging members for di minishing the transverse dimension of said space to thereby clamp said cables between said inter-engaging members so that the clamping stresses exerted by said members on said cables are substantially restricted in their distribution to a single plane.

4. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a plurality of openended concave members having sliding engagement with each other and having their concave faces in opposition to thereby define a single space between them, and a Single cable engaging receptacle associated with each of said concave members, each of said receptacles being obliquely disposed relatively to its respective concave member for receiving a plurality of tension members and retaining the same in binding contact With each other Within said receptacles.

5. A clamping device comprising, in combination, a pair of opposing, relatively slidable, interengaging concave members, each of said members having a guide and a slide coperating with the slide and guide, respectively, of the opposite concave member, and a cable-engaging receptacle along and obliquely disposed with respect to each of said slide members for receiving a plurality of tension members and retaining the same in binding contact with each other ivithin said receptacles.

G. A clamping device comprising. in en mbination, a pair'of Opposing. relatlvely slidable, interengaging concave membersl defining the space between them for the reception of a plurality of :faibles or the like. each 'of said menibers having a gnide and a slide eooperating with the slide and guide. respei'- tively, ef the opposite con 'ave member, and a cable-engaging receptacle along and obliqnely dis )oscd with respect to each of said slde mem ers for diminishing the transve e dimension of said spare im said members bein moved relatively to each-other. whereby Elie relative movement of the concave members in one direction lserves to clam i said cables within said s mee, whilel snc i movement in the opposite direction serves tn iinclamp said cables.

7. A two-part. elampiiiif device eonipiisinir. in combination.Y a pair otnopposing relatively slidable interengaging concave members defining the space between them for the reception of a plurality of tension members. ca ieh of said concave members havin?.r a 1guide and a slide eoperating with the slide iiiid guide res icetivelv of the opposite concave member. and a cab e-engiiging receptaclealong and obliquely disposed with respect to each of said slide members for diminishing the transverse dimension of said space on said members bein moved relatively to each other, whereby tie relative movement of the coneiive members in one direction serves to if clamp said tension members within said space, nf Said tension members in n certain direction serves to increase the clamping action of said concave member on said tension inembers.

8. A clamping device comprising. in combination, a pliiralit of interengagin'g relatively slidable mem ers, the opposing: faces of said members being shaped to provide a space between them to contain a plurality of tension members, each of said op fusing faces being provided along an edge tl iin obliqnely disposed grooved wedgnig puin tion to engage one of said tension memoers for receiving a lurality of tension members and retaining t ie same in binding contact with erich other within said receptacles, whereby the transverse dimension of said space may be diminished on said members being' moved relatively to each other.

In testimony whereof. I hiive signed my name to this specification this 20th clay of December 1917.

OLIN S. PROCTOR.

while tension exerted on either or both iereof with 

